


It's a love story, baby, just say yes

by TheWordsInMyHead



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Meet-Cute, Protective Bellamy Blake, Teacher!Bellamy, and then more fluff, because it's Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:41:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29438433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWordsInMyHead/pseuds/TheWordsInMyHead
Summary: There’s something about the body language of the man standing opposite her. Something about the eagerness in his eyes intermixed with the wariness in hers that has Bellamy reacting. Before he knows it, he’s standing next to the pair with what is probably the stupidest plan he’s ever had.“Hey, Babe,” Bellamy greets the mysterious woman, cringing to himself at the nickname. “I’m glad you could make it.”Or the one where Bellamy didn't expect much from Valentine's Day, and ended up with a lot.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 123





	It's a love story, baby, just say yes

Looking around the dimly lit gymnasium, Bellamy slowly sips at his fruit punch. He’s not going to look at the clock on the wall, he’s not going to look at the clock on the wall, he’s not going to— 

1:28; which means he’s still got more than an hour left of this. He lets out a sigh, pulling at the tie around his neck. He loves his job; being a teacher was the dream he never actually thought was attainable, but he still would much prefer to spend his time in the classroom. 

While his students have been incredibly excited about this, he has a terrible suspicion that it's going to end with someone in tears. That seems to be the trend when a bunch of 11-, 12-, and 13-year-old kids are shoved together and given free rein. Or at least, that’s the outcome his colleges indicated would happen after they convinced him, as the overly eager to please new guy, to sign up to monitor it. 

He should have known better. 

The world likes to present Valentine’s day as the moment where dreams come true, when two strangers meet, and it’s love at first sight, or the set of best friends finally realize they are in love, but in his 28 years of life that hasn’t been the case. He's been in a handful of relationships on this fateful day, and all he’s ever experienced is the crushing disappointment of unrealistic expectations. 

Still, he can’t help but be wrapped up in the magic of it all a little as his eyes move away from the slowly ticking clock to take in the rest of the space. It's undoubtedly over the top with paper hearts taped to just about every surface of the walls while red, pink, and white streamers hang from the ceiling, yet he still smiles slightly to himself at the memory of Charlotte’s “ooh” of appreciation when he walked in with his class fifteen minutes ago. 

For now, his students are happy. He’s surrounded by the sound of sugar-filled giggles and songs he’s not cool enough to recognize, and that’s enough for him. As long as everyone is having a good time, he’s not going to complain. Or at least he’ll stop sulking in the corner. 

With newfound determination to have some fun, Bellamy throws his empty glass in the trash and moves towards the center of the room only to stop short at the sight of someone who’s most definitely not happy. 

He doesn’t know who she is, he doesn’t recognize her as a staff member, and he doesn’t take the time to figure it out. She’s got her arms wrapped around her waist and tension in her neck; something is clearly wrong, and it doesn’t matter who she is. If he can help, he will. He takes another step in her direction, and it’s only then that he begins to understand the source of her discomfort. Still, he doesn’t stop. 

There’s something about the body language of the man standing opposite her. Something about the eagerness in his eyes intermixed with the wariness in hers that has Bellamy reacting. Before he knows it, he’s standing next to the pair with what is probably the stupidest plan he’s ever had. 

“Hey, Babe,” Bellamy greets the mysterious woman, cringing to himself at the nickname. “I’m glad you could make it.” 

Her eyes, beautiful and blue (not that he’s looking) widen, and he braces himself for her disgust, hoping that his boss will be able to look past the rather creepy nature of his decision and realize that he was just trying to help, but she surprises him. A bright smile lights up her face (that only takes a little bit of his breath away) as she wraps her arms around his waist. 

“Of course! Thanks for the invite; hanging out at a preteen school dance is the absolute best way to spend Valentine’s day.” 

The teasing lilt to her voice, coupled with the seemingly perfect way she fits into his body, robs him of all thought for a second, but thankfully he’s able to get himself back under control before it becomes a problem. He murmurs back in the same tone, “Only the best for my girl.” 

His mystery woman laughs, and Bellamy finds himself captivated by the sound. He watches her, taking in the delicate curve of her jaw, complimented by the wisps of her blond hair falling out from the crown braid around her head, and she watches him in return. He has a brief moment to wonder what she sees when she looks at him before her expression tells him. Her eyes crinkle in amusement; her lips quirk in thanks. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the man interjects, not sounding quite as apologetic as his words might suggest. “I didn’t know that you were seeing someone.” 

“Yup,” she responds after a moment, and he can feel the tension return to her body as though she’d forgotten about the man. 

For a second, Bellamy thinks that will be the end of it; really, it should be, but if his behavior earlier was any indicated, he’s not the kind of man who leaves when he should. 

“That’s great!” the man continues the conversion, his voice ringing with insincerity. “How long have you been together?” 

She doesn’t make any motion, a truly unfortunate frown marring her face, so Bellamy takes it upon himself to answer. “It will be two years in a few weeks, right, Honey?” 

In an instant, the expression on the man’s face sours, but Bellamy hardly notices it as she raises up on her tiptoes to press a kiss against his cheek. “Yeah, two years, and I can’t imagine my life without you, _dear_.” 

A laugh threatens to escape him at the emphasis on the pet-name, and he can’t stop himself from adding, “One spilled drink and the rest is history, wouldn’t say, Muffin?” 

Her eyes widen, and he can see her biting the inside of her cheek to keep her laughter in. “You mean tossed, Sweetie.” 

“Princess, you totally spilled the drink on me.” 

She grins back at him, and his breath is unmistakably stolen this time. 

“I better get back to supervising,” the man interrupts them suddenly, walking away from them without another word. 

“It was nice catching up,” she calls out to his retreating form, her voice chipper in a way that makes Bellamy lose the battle against laughing. He turns his face away, turning the sound into a fake cough, but it wouldn’t have mattered; it doesn’t look like anything could stop the man’s hasty exit now. 

“Thank you,” she tells him, once the man is out of earshot, pulling her body away from his with what feels, to him at least, like reluctance. “He wasn’t taking the hint...” 

She trails off, and he scrambles to fill the increasingly awkward silence. “An ex?” 

“Something like that.” She continues to stare after the man, a furrow in her brow, seemingly not interested in talking, but for some reason, Bellamy can’t just take the hint. God, he hopes he’s not being the pushy asshole.  
“He looked jealous.” 

“Maybe,” she answers after a moment, finally turning to look at him with a small shake of her head and a quiet laugh. “But it’s more likely that he’s wondering if we were already dating when we hooked up.” 

Bellamy’s eyes grow wide, and he feels an unpleasant flush crawling up his neck; he probably shouldn’t have added so much detail to their backstory. Actually, he probably should have left the situation alone and done his job. Rubbing a hand anxiously through his hair, he looks about the room to make sure that nothing has fallen apart while he was distracted, only for his eyes to find her again. 

There's a smile on her face, one that he somehow knows is real, and she’s watching curiously. 

“I’m sorry,” he offers for a lack of something better to say. 

“Don’t be,” she tells him softly, hesitating, clearly slightly embarrassed before continuing. “We hooked up once, about a year ago, and I kind of disappeared on him after. Things changed, and I didn’t care to explain, so I didn’t say anything... like an asshole.” 

“Meh,” Bellamy replies with a shrug. “Did you meet him at a bar?” 

“Dating app.” 

Bellamy winces, unable to help himself. He tried one of those at Octavia’s assistance a few years ago and only lasted a few hours. “You’re definitely justified then. Those places are hell on earth.” 

“Not a fan?” she asks, clearly amused, especially when he shudders again. 

“Let’s just say, if I had actually stayed there long enough to get a match on one of those, I probably would have made the same move.” 

“Oh well then, I won’t feel bad for involving you in my screw up,” she tells him with a smirk. “I’m Clarke, by the way. Not that princess isn’t an acceptable alternative. If you call me muffin again, though, I might have to kick you.” 

“Bellamy,” he responds with a grin, reaching out his hand, realizing too late that it is incredibly clammy. It’s been a long time since anyone made him this nervous. “Or Mr. Blake around these halls.” 

“Right,” she says as if just remembering where they are. “I should probably let you get back to work.” 

He figures that she’s probably right; he’s supposed to be watching for trouble, and they are at the point in the dance where the tears start to occur if his sources are to be believed, but when she doesn’t move more than to look out at the mass of students, he finds himself grateful. 

They pass the next few minutes in companionable silence, both watching the swaying bodies until suddenly the music changes, and she lets out a sigh of contentment. “Oh, I love this song.” 

Bellamy tilts his head to the side, listening, and is surprised to find that he actually recognizes the lyrics. A smile works its way onto his mouth as memories of a preteen Octavia dancing around singing flash across his mind. 

_See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns. See you make your way through the crowd._

"Do you want to dance?" Clarke looks at him like he's lost his mind, but there's a slight smile on her face, so he just takes her hand and leads her onto the dance floor. "Come on, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't?" 

She turns her head slightly, covering her face with her hair, but she follows his lead, wrapping her arms lightly around his neck when he comes to a stop amongst all the preteen couples. After a moment of hesitation, he places his hands gently on her hips, wondering to himself why exactly he thought this was a good idea. 

He doesn’t dance; not in the clubs Octavia occasionally manages to drag him out to, and definitely not at school dances. There were a lot of things he missed out on, working and essentially raising O from the time he was eight, but he can honestly say that he’s not sorry to have avoided this awkward moment up until this point. 

_You'll be the prince, and I'll be the princess._

Still, he can’t help but embrace the awkwardness as they continue to shuffle side to side until eventually, she leans forward to rest her head against his chest, and he’s no longer uncomfortable. Or at least no longer uncomfortable in that way. His heart, which before was beating rapidly in nerves, now threatens to burst out of his chest as he realizes just how perfect this moment is. 

She is soft and warm in his arms with a killer smile and a laugh that just makes the world better. She’s everything he’d convinced himself that he was done looking for. Not even a week ago, he’d told Octavia that he didn’t want a relationship, that he wasn’t looking for love, but when he glances down to see her silently mouthing the words with her eyes close, he knows that while he might not have been searching for love, he may have found it. 

_You'll never have to be alone. I love you, and that's all I really know._

It doesn’t make sense; he doesn’t believe soulmates or love at first sight, but there’s something about her, something that makes his heart sing, that tells him she could be it. Somehow, in the most unexpected way, he’s found his other half, and now all he’s got to do is make sure she doesn’t slip through his fingertips. 

“Excuse me,” he hears a prim voice call out beside them, and his thoughts come crashing down around him. _What was he thinking?_ “There’s no way I’m fitting a soccer ball between you, and, Mr. Blake, your hands were definitely starting to wander, if you know what I mean.” 

“They aren’t— I wasn’t,” Bellamy actually stutters, stepping back hastily and trying to come up with an explanation while the student watches him expectantly. He teaches seventh grade, but it’s only been six months, so he’s still learning how to match faces to names, particularly with students who aren’t in his year. Within a few seconds, though, he has recognized her as one of Mrs. Green’s 6th graders. 

“Are you sure?” 

She raises an eyebrow at him expectantly, but all Bellamy manages to do is continue to gape at her. He knows he’s new to this, but he went toe to toe with Octavia for the better part of a decade, and he had thought he’d met his match in her. 

“Madi,” Clarke suddenly reprimands before he has the chance to respond. 

“Yes.” 

“Did you actually want something or just to give Mr. Blake some grey hair?” 

Madi smirks, looking so much like Clarke at the moment that he can’t believe he hadn’t seen the resemblance right away. “Ethan is having a party later just five of us and his parents are going to be home. Can I go?” 

Clarke narrows her eyes like she’s trying to determine whether to reprimand her further; a decision which she must decide isn’t worth it. “Okay, just message me when you want to be picked up.” 

“Thanks,” Madi shouts, transforming from something truly terrifying to a, by all accounts, sweet child. “Love you.” 

“You too,” Clarke calls back to her as she turns away. “Try not to terrorize anyone else, okay?” 

“No promises.” 

“Wow,” Bellamy says, letting out a breath as he watches Madi walk away. “Your…” 

“Daughter,” Clarke answers with a ruthful smile. “She’s a menace.” 

“Ahh,” he says mostly to himself. “That makes sense.” 

“Parent volunteer.” 

“Yeah, I’ve got that now,” Bellamy responds with an only slightly self-deprecating laugh. In all his thoughts of soulmates and perfect matches, he hadn’t even stopped to consider what she was even doing here.  
He looks at her more closely, examining her fully in the way he didn’t bother to do before. For a second, as his eyes scan her form, he’s distracted by the beautiful red dress clinging to her skin, but he’s able to pull himself away before his thoughts wander too far. 

She could be mid 20’s, but even then, she would have had to have had Madi when she was very, very young. It's possible; he knows it happens— it happened to his mom, but the picture still doesn’t seem to fit right... not that it matters. He likes kids, as a teacher and as whatever he was to Octavia. Really, if anything, it will just hopefully mean that she’ll understand his past a bit better. 

Settled, he opens his mouth to share his thoughts, only for her to nod her head in the direction of where they came from. He looks around them, suddenly remembering they are standing in the middle of the floor, and then smiles his agreement. He really doesn’t need to garner any more attention from his students. 

“You know the ‘life thing’ I didn’t care to get into?” she asks as she leads them back towards the wall. “I met Madi, and then all of my energy went into getting licensed as a foster parent.” 

“God, you’re perfect, aren’t you?” he groans before common sense stops him from opening his mouth. Here she is with a smile that makes his heart do stupid things and palms sweat, telling him in words and actions that she’s the exact person he’s always wanted. Depending on how things go, this is either going to be the best day of his life or the absolute worst. 

She shakes her head, but once again, instead of horror, all he sees on her face is fond amusement. “You should see me in the morning; it will definitely change your mind.” 

He’s seconds away from telling her that he’d love to wake up with her, but thankfully his brain functions in time. He's really already pushing the boundaries of what’s appropriate to do while he’s supervising a dance. He should probably wait to ask her out until later. 

“It looks like I’m kidless for the night if you want to have dinner with me? A few hours might be enough to cure you of that delusion.” 

Or she can do it for him, he thinks wryly only to catch sight of one of the hearts plastered to the wall. “It’s Valentine’s day.” 

“Really?” Clarke responds in mock astonishment. “What gave it away? The hearts? Or maybe the insufferable amount of pink strewn throughout the room?” 

He lets out a groan, forgetting himself again as he rests his head against her shoulder. “It’s just so cliché, meeting you on today of all days; my sister is going to have a field day. Seriously, we will be hearing about this for the rest of our lives.” 

“The rest of our lives?” Clarke questions in amusement, but there’s a glimmer of hope in her eyes, the same kind he feels in his heart, that makes him think she’d be more than okay with that outcome. 

Smiling, he’s about to tell her that’s what he’s hoping for when he hears the telltale sound of sniffling behind him. 

“Mr. Blake, can we go back to class?” 

When he turns around, there are the foretold group of students with frowns on their faces, and he knows that his time with Clarke is up for the moment. 

“Later?” he asks, unable to stop himself. 

“Absolutely,” Clarke responds with an understanding grin. “I’ll find you.” 

“Okay,” he tells Charlotte who’s now got tears streaming down her face. “Let’s go out in the hall for a minute, and then we can see how you feel.”

They walk away without another word, and Bellamy spends the rest of the dance busy, only managing to catch sight of her a few more times. Once she’s dancing with Madi, once she’s helping a group of his students braid streamers, and each time he can’t help but think that the rest of his life with her might not be long enough for him. 

Octavia does mock him, days later and every Valentine’s day after that, but Bellamy finds that he doesn’t mind. Having Clarke and Madi by his side is more than worth whatever teasing might come his way. He found his person when he wasn’t looking, in a world full of strangers, and that’s the kind of love story you don’t say no to.


End file.
